“In Congress, Akin voted to raise the debt limit over $3 trillion and wasted billions on earmarks. In the state Senate, Steelman voted to put Missouri billions in debt and backed millions in wasteful pork projects, like they do in Washington,” the narrator says.

In a conference call with reporters, Brunner campaign manager Jon Seaton contended that the spot “wasn’t a negative ad in the classic sense of the term.”

But “it’s important for voters to know that there’s a clear difference here,” he said.

A Democratic source told Roll Call that the buy was backed by $192,000 from June 5 to June 11. Seaton said he was “not going to confirm” the size of the buy but said it was on cable and broadcast stations statewide.

The winner of the primary will take on vulnerable Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) in November. Roll Call rates the race as a Tossup.

Here’s the backup to the claims in the ad, provided by the Brunner campaign.